Rumour: Google takes on Apple's HealthKit with its own Google Fit

Google's I/O conference is just around the corner. One of the biggest rumours about what to expect is that Google plans to launch a health service called Google Fit, a platform similar to Apple’s recently announced HealthKit framework.

What will Google Fit do? Well it aims to collect and aggregate data from all the various fitness trackers and apps out there. Think your health data in the cloud. Not a surprising announcement considering Samsung just launched its own biometric data platform, Sami, last month.

All the data from those various apps and trackers will be aggregated via Google Fit through open APIs. Google is also said to be announcing partnerships with wearable device makers at the conference.

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What should we expect? Well, whispers are that wearables will soon be able to interface with Google’s cloud services. Having your wearable send you Gmail about your spiking blood pressure sounds both scary and amazing.

But what is Google Fit going to be, exactly? Will it be a web service, much like the ill-fated Google Health? Or will it be built into the next version of Android? Is it going to be a standalone app? As the I/O conference will have tracks on wearable computing as well as cloud sessions, anything goes for the moment.

Signs point to Google Fit being tied into Google’s wearable platform, Android Wear. Likely it could be a key feature of Android Wear devices, but then wouldn’t that also be treading onto the toes of competing wearable device makers?

Microsoft will also be joining the smart watch party, with a watch that measures continuous heart rates and its own HealthVault is already a web-based platform for storing health information. Sure getting crowded in the health sphere now, isn’t it?